Knitting machine



, Witness- May 12, 1942. M Q WLLER 2,282,668

KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 28, 1935 Fig.1 F229. .2 Fig. 3Fig.4

Mam

fl against possible slipping off Patented May 12, 1942 6 Claims. Thepresent invention relates to improvements in loop lifting implements forknitting machines,

and more, specifically to a novel and improved loop lifting pointadapted for use in machines arranged for knitting fashioned hosiery forremoving loops from and forreturning the loops to the knitting needles.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel andimproved loop lifting implement of this general description for removingand returning selected loops to the needles, which is well adapted forsecurely holding the lifted loop, so that there is no danger that theloop will slip off over the point of the implement.

Another object of the invention more specifical- Divided and thisapplication December 1'1, 1940, Serial No. 370,496

to the needles after the knitting of the heel flap portion of thefabric; Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken-on the line 9- -8 of Fig. 2,illustrating the operation of applicant's improved loop lifting pointtomaintain the fabric loops'on the points, and corresponds specifically tothe position of these elements illustrated, for instance, in Fig. 3; andFig. 10 is a similar sectional view taken through applicant's improvedloop lifting point ly is to provide a loop lifting implement of thisgeneral description which is well adapted for use in a full-fashionedfoot and leg knitting machine such as that illustrated in applicantscopending application, Serial No. 66,207, filed February 28, 1936, ofwhich the present application is a division, for supporting selectedneedle wale loops off the needles during an extended period in which theother portions of the fabric as, for

example, the heel tabs and ravel sole courses are knitted.

With these and other objects in view, a feature of the inventionconsists in the provision of a loop lifting implement arranged forremoving and for returning loops to the needles, .Whichis provided tothe side thereof with the previously knitted loops of the fabric with anindentation adapted for engaging therein the head portion of thepreviously formed loop in order to support the terminal loop held on-theloop lifting implement over the point .of the implement;- i

The several'features of the inventionccnsist also in the devices-,-combinations and arrangement'of parts hereinafter described and claimed,which together with the advantages to be; ob-

'tained' thereby will be readilyunderstood by-one skilled in the .artfrom [the following description taken; in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. i" is a'side'elevation of a looplifting implement embodying in .-a preferred formthe several featuresvof'applicants inven- 'tion; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the looplifting implement shown in Fig.1; Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive, are a seriesof somewhat diagrammatic views illustrating the relative positions ofthe loop liftinginstrumentalities arranged for supporting instep loopstogether with the cooperating needles, sinkers and webholder elementsduring the successive-steps in the return of these loops and the needlecooperating therewith during the transfer operation, and corresponds'tothe position of these parts illustrated specifically in Fi 7. a

I Applicant's improved loop lifting point is herein specificallyillustrated and described in connection with a, multiple sectionfull-fashioned knitting machine adapted for knitting a complete foot andleg hosiery blank, the implements illustrated 'being employedspecifically for the purpose of removing the terminal loops comprisingthe instep portion .of the fabric from the needles, and for holdingthese loops during the knitting of the heel tabs and sole ravel courses,and there after'for transferring these loops back to the instep needlespreparatory for the knitting of the foot portion of the fabric. Whilethe invention is herein specifically described in connection with theremoval and return of the instep floops, it will be understood thatapplicant's improved loop lifting point may be employed with equaladvantage for'fashioning and other operations in which loop liftingimplements of the general type described are ordinarily employed.

' Referring specifically to'the drawing, applicants improved looplifting point is designated at I! in Figs. 1 and 2, and follows theusual construction of, these elements except that thereis formed inthewalls of the needle engaging side of the implement a notch H which ispreferably undercut slightly toward the tip of the point. The edges'ofthe notchedgportions of the side walls" are-bevelled inwardly, asindicated at I 6,

in order that'the "points may be readily withdrawnfrom the loopsafterthe transfer of the instep needle loop held thereon back to. the

needle. The notched portions ll are made sufficiently shallow to permitthe needle tip to pass beneath a bar of yarn in the groove provided bythe notches l4 during the operation of returning the loops to theneedles. Applicant illustrates in Figs. 3to 8'inclusive, the usualcooperating knitting instrumentalities in a full-fashioned knittingmachine including the needles l8, sinkers 20 and knockover bits 22.

The operation of applicant's improved loop lifting implements, whenemployed to remove and support the instep needle loops to the backs ofthe needles during the knitting of the heel flaps and sole ravelcourses, and to thereafter transfer said loops back to the needles, maybe briefly described as follows: The implements cooperate with theneedles in the usual manner to engage upon the points and to raise thelifted loops above the tips of the needles. The needle loops placed intheir usual position on the shanks of the loop lifting points as, forinstance,. in an ordinary narrowing operation, are located substantiallyopposite or above the notches ll. Owing to the tightness of the needleloop with relation to the cross-sectional area of the loop liftingimplement,

which will be relatively the same independently a of the gauge of themachine, the bar of yarn comprising the needle loop of the previouslyknitted course-will be drawn tightly into the notch H as shown in Figs.3 and 9, sothat the fabric is positively held on the points during thesubsequent knitting of the heel flaps and sole ravel courses asillustrated, for example, in Fig. 3. During the operation oftransferring or returning the loops held on the implements back to theneedles as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the tips of the needles movingrelatively upwardly with relation to the loop lifting implements andpressed in the usual manner into the hollowed or grooved portionrof theimplements, will pass under the bar of yarn formed by the needle loopsof the previously knitted course, so that these bars of yarn will beforced out of the notches 14 during the continued relative movement ofthe needles and points as shown in Fig. 10, thus freeing the points fromthe fabric and permitting their removal as specifically illustratedinFigs. '7 and 8. The bevelled portions ii of the notched walls of theimplements serve to provide an adequate clearance to prevent possiblecatching of the viously knitted loop into the indentation, and thus toprevent the inadvertent losing of the loops from the points. In theperformance of loop lifting or transfer operations in which a relativelylarge number of adjacent loop lifting points having applicants improvedconstruction are employed, it has been found sumcient to prevent thelosing of the fabric from the points, if only an occasional loop iscaught in the indentations provided in these adjacent loop liftingpoints.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

1. For use in a full-fashioned knitting machine having needles, apointed 100p lifting implement having a shank portion and a needlereceiving groove in the shank, and a yarn engaging notch formed in thegrooved side of the shank.

2. For use in a full-fashioned knitting machine having needles, apointed loop lifting implement having a needle receiving groove, and anundercut yarn retaining notch formed in the grooved side thereof. v

3. For use in a knitting machine having needles, a loop liftingimplement having a shank portion and a needlereceiving groove in theshank portion and a notch formed in the grooved side of the shankportion for engagement with fabric loops with the edges of the notchesduring I vertently slipping off over the tips of the points.

During those portions of the loop removal and transfer operations inwhich. the loops are shifted from the needles to the points, and fromthe points back to the needles, the notches H ,are rendered inoperativeby the location of the needles in interlocking .engagement with thepoints.

While in the preferred embodiment of the invention the notched portion14 is illustrated as 'a :hook to engage with and positively support abar of yarn formed by the needle loop of the previously knitted course,it will be understood that the invention in its broader aspects is notlimited to any specific form of this indentation which depends in largepart for its effectiveness upon the tendency of the fully stretchedterminal wale loops to draw the bar of yarn comprising the prethe bar ofyarn formed by the needle loop of the previously knitted course tomaintain the transferred needle loop firmly on said implement.

4. For use in a knitting machine having needles, a loop liftingimplement having a shank portion and a needle receiving groove in theshank portion, and a notch formed in the grooved sideof the shankportion for engagement with the bar of yarn formed by the needle loop ofthe previously knitted course to maintain the transferred needle loopfirmlyon said implement, and said notched portion being sufficientlyshallow to permit the needle tip to pass beneath said bar of yarn in thegroove during the operation of returning the loop to the needle.

side walls having the outer edges thereof bevelled inwardly tofacilitate the removal ofvthe implement subsequent to the return of theloop to the needle.

6. For use in a knitting machine having spring beard needles, a looplifting implement having a shank portion and a notched portion extendingtransversely in the shank portion of the implement and located to thatside of the loop lifting implement with the previously formed loop fromwhich the lifted loop depends.

Max 0.

